Wait. For. It.

This morning, I drove a friend to a surgical center for a routine medical procedure, after which he was not allowed to drive. I am grateful that the facility was efficient and that the procedure itself was a short one, as I was relegated to the waiting room for the duration. I lost count of how many times the automatic door opened and closed. Even though there was a second automatic door which one might think would prevent the chilly Florida Polar Vortex air from entering the waiting area, it was cold in there. But there was actually a sign posted in the room which was an FAQ of sorts. First question: "Why is it so cold in here?" The answer had to do with germs thriving in warm environments. Kudos to the facility, which offered a heated blanket if this was a problem for anyone.

So my friend went in for the procedure, and I, prepared with a book, settled in as far from the automatic doors as I could get. Checked my text messages, emails, and newsfeed, all the while having my ears overwhelmed by the non-stop weather channel on the waiting room television. Looks like the Midwest is going to experience record-breaking low temps in the next couple of days. Of particular note, Fargo, ND will experience a high of 19 friggin' degrees below zero. Now, it just so happens that my friend and I watched the Coen Brothers' classic movie, Fargo, just last night. So I'm still nightmaring about wood chippers and chain smokers and deplorables while fretting over a medical diagnosis for my friend and shivering in friggin' South Florida. Waiting.

I see nothing good about waiting. No, wait, let me rethink that. There are times when waiting allows one to contemplate all sorts of heady things. Time to reflect upon past joys (and sorrows), anticipate future joys (and sorrows), plot to create future joys (but not sorrows). So forced downtime can be good, I suppose. But more than likely, waiting lends way to frustration, fear, exhaustion, exaggeration, imagination (not the good kind), and regret. Too much negativity.

So what am I waiting for? Oh, not much. Just world peace, Trump's incarceration, a return to sanity, clean water in Flint, separation of church and state, equal rights for all, legalized marijuana, an end to everlasting war, proper funding and intelligent leadership in education, gun control, health care for all, tax reform, free Internet access for all, and the return of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Waiting. Just waiting.

I didn't even get around to opening my book before I was called back to Recovery. My friend's procedure was finished, and all was good. I'd waited in hopes of good news, and it was delivered. But how many people were in a similar situation at the same time, waiting for good news, only to be hit over the head and heart with bad news? I've been there. I know how painful the blow.

What are you waiting for?